Tennessee Titans: 5 Potential additions to complement Derrick Henry
By John Laird
5. Chris Thompson, Unrestricted free agent
With “big-name” running backs hitting the open market this free agency, such as Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, it’s easy to overlook players such as Chris Thompson. But the truth is, in his seven-year career, Thompson has been quietly one of the most efficient running backs catching the ball out of the backfield.
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Despite being buried on the depth chart for most of his career behind players such as Alfred Morris, Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice, Thompson has averaged 4.8 yards per carry over the course of his career.
The former Florida State Seminole has also accumulated over 200 career receptions for over 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns. These aren’t All-Pro numbers, but given how Chris Thompson was a victim of circumstance in an offense that has been severely underwhelming, one has to wonder how’d he do in a more productive offense with better talent around him.
However, there’s another factor that must be mentioned when talking about Thompson’s lack of opportunity and that is his extensive injury history. That isn’t ideal when talking about a potential free-agent addition at the running back position. That’s especially the case when the list of injuries includes (but isn’t limited to): a torn ACL, broken fibula, torn labrum, fractured vertebra, amongst others.
This firmly puts Thompson in the “high risk-high reward” category. Is that something Jon Robinson is willing to gamble on in order to extend the career of Derrick Henry and give this offense a dynamic it’s been missing?